Uncovering the lives of late-eighteenth- and nineteenth century inhabitants of Bristol through osteoarchaeological and documentary analysis

This chapter presents biographies for five named individuals, Maria Taylor (1822-1845), Thomas Rokeby Price (1849-1853), Mark Kelson (1801-1857), George Cumberland (1754-1848) and Elizabeth Cumberland (1752-1837), excavated from the nineteenth century cemetery of St George’s, Bristol. This collaboration between osteoarchaeological and historical research allows the illumination of less studied groups, such as women, children, and those of lower socioeconomic status. For this period there is a wealth of documentary evidence relating to occupation, family status and childbirth, and causes of death and injury. Letters written by George Cumberland also allow a more personal view of his bodily ailments. The information has been structured into three case studies. Maria Taylor and Thomas Rokeby Price both have tuberculosis cited as the cause of death so this enabled a comparison to the evidence for any skeletal lesions associated with this diagnosis, adding to our knowledge of the manifestations of tuberculosis. Mark Kelson has evidence for a healed fracture, with his injury being reported in the local press. This allowed a rare comparison with the state of healing of the injury and the known timeframe of the event to be explored. George and Elizabeth Cumberland were very elderly when they died enabling an exploration of the ageing body, and outlining some of the problems inherent in osteological methods of age determination. This exploration of five individuals has allowed us to gain new insights into the lived experience of the inhabitants of Bristol in the nineteenth century.